1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a multi-pole connector for mounting on a surface of a printed circuit board. More particularly, the present invention relates to a spacer structure for preventing damage of distal end portions of female connection terminals to be soldered to a surf ace of the printed circuit board.
The present application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. Hei. 11-364281, which is incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of the Related Art
A typical example of related multi-pole connectors, mounted on a surface of a printed circuit board, is shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. This connector comprises a housing 1, having two (upper and lower) rows of connection ports 1a formed in a front surface thereof in a longitudinal direction for respectively receiving male connection terminals (not shown), female connection terminals 2, which comprise press-shaped products of an electrically-conductive metal sheet, respectively, and are received in receiving chambers CV (not shown) disposed inwardly of the connection ports 1a, and a spacer block 3 fitted in an opening (not shown) formed in a rear surface of the housing 1 generally over an entire area thereof.
The spacer block 3 includes flange portions 4, which are formed respectively at opposite ends thereof, and have screw holes, respectively, a bar-like fitting portion 5, which extends between the two flange portions 4, and can be fitted in the opening in the rear surface of the housing 1, and engagement plates 7 which extend respectively from the flange portions 4, and can be engaged with lock piece portions 6 formed at opposite ends of the housing 1. Ribs 5a for dividing the opening, formed in the rear surface of the housing 1, into sections are formed on upper and lower surfaces of the fitting portion 5, and these ribs 5a cooperate with an inner peripheral surface of the opening in the rear surface of the housing 1 to form two (upper and lower) rows of narrow spaces.
Distal end portions 2a of the female connection terminals 2, received respectively in the inner receiving chambers, are passed respectively through these narrow spaces, and these distal end portions 2a, extending outwardly from the spacer block 3, are soldered respectively to predetermined portions of a surface of a printed circuit board.
In the above printed circuit board-connecting connector, when the spacer block 3 is fitted into the opening in the rear surface of the housing 1, the spacer block 3 is liable to contact the distal end portions 2a of the terminals to much deform the same. In addition, the exposed distal end portions 2a of the terminals, which are relatively long, and are bent outwardly, are liable to be deformed by an accidental external force applied during the wrapping and the transportation.
And besides, the above printed circuit board-connecting connector is fixedly secured to the surface of the printed circuit board by screws, passing respectively through the screw holes formed respectively in the flange portions 4, in such a manner that only the rear surfaces of the opposite end portions of the connector are held against the surface of the printed circuit board. Therefore, the whole of the printed circuit board-connecting connector can not be firmly fixed to the surface of the printed circuit board.
The present invention has been made in order to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a printed circuit board-connecting connector which protects connection terminals, and can be mounted on a printed circuit board in a more stable condition.
To achieve the above object, according to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a connector which comprises a housing, a row of receiving chambers formed within the housing, a spacer block fittable to the housing from an obverse surface thereof to face the row of receiving chambers, the spacer block being fixable at a reverse surface thereof to a printed circuit board, and a plurality of connection terminals respectively insertable in the row of receiving chambers, the connection terminals having distal end portions electrically connectable to electrically-conductive circuit patterns formed on the printed circuit board, wherein the spacer block has a row of passage windows which are formed in a lattice-like manner, and through which the distal end portions of the connection terminals are respectively passable, so that the distal end portions of the connection terminals are protected.
In this connector, when the spacer block is fitted to the housing, that is, when attaching the spacer block to the housing, the distal end portions of the connection terminals are received and held in the passage windows, respectively. Therefore, the deformation of the distal end portions of the terminals is prevented during the insertion (and attachment) of the spacer block. Even after the connector is assembled, the distal end portions of the terminals are protected by the passage windows, respectively, and therefore the distal end portions of the terminals are prevented from being deformed by an external force.
Further, according to the second aspect of the present invention, it is preferable that the reverse surface of the spacer block to be held in contact with the printed circuit board is substantially flat generally over an entire area thereof. In this construction, the reverse surface of the spacer block is flat over the entire area thereof, and therefore the area of contact between the spacer block and the printed circuit board is increased. Therefore, the whole of the printed circuit board-connecting connector can be firmly fixed to the surface of the printed circuit board, and besides the flexural rigidity of the spacer block can be increased.
Further, according to the third aspect of the present invention, it is preferable that the spacer block has at least one positioning projection formed on the reverse surface thereof to be opposed to the printed circuit board, and the at least one positioning projection is insertable into a hole formed in the printed circuit board. In this construction, the spacer block has the at least one positioning projection formed on the reverse surface thereof to be opposed to the printed circuit board, and therefore the connector can be easily and accurately positioned relative to the printed circuit board by inserting the positioning projection into the hole formed in the printed circuit board.